Code dater



R. F. MovlcKER 2,977,877

coDE DATER Filed Sept. 28, 1959 glmunl ATTORNEYS.

conn DATER Robert V1i'. McVicker, Anderson, Ind., assignor toALynch Thisfinvention relates to a code dater particularly adapted for dating cartons passing through a cartoning machine.V

One object of the invention is to provide a code dater including a date stamp carrier which may be quickly operated to remove date stamps and substitute others,

thus reducing to a minimum the down time necessary' to etfect ar change of code date, the constructionvbeing 4such as to utilize standard existing dater stamps instead of requiring special stamps. t

,Another object is to provide a date stamp carrier tainer, the retainer being adjustable from a retaining position to any one of a number. of date stamp-removal positions to permitindividual removal of a date staiiip and the substitution of another, whereupon the retainer may be adjusted to its initialor retaining position.

l `United States Patent comprising a date stamp carrier and a date stampre-V Still another `Objectis. to` provide detent meansyto normally hold the` retainer in its retaining position yet permit ready movement thereof to non-retaining position u without the aid of any tools...

A .further object is to provide means in theuform of* magnets to temporarily retain the date stamps in mounted position while the retainer is being adjusted to the various positions permitting removal of the individual date stamps and replacement thereof, such as`each morning before beginning the operation of the cartoningV f machine for the day. The magnets prevent the date stamps from falling out and very little pressure is needed to remove one while the magnets keep the others in alignment.

Still a further object is to provide a date stamp carrier having radial grooves to receive date stamps which date stamps have cross grooves, the date stamp retainer having an annular bead to iit into the cross grooves to retain the date stamps in their proper radialA locations when the retainer is returned to retaining position.l

lWiththese and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinay tion of the various parts of my code dater, -wherebyVV the objects above contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in detail on the accompanying drawing, wherein' and'y retaineryassociated with an opposed back-up seg- Eig. 1 shows and end elevation ofV a carton `date starnp- Y f ing mechanism with my improveddate stamp carrier.

Pig. 2 isa side elevation' of the mechanismA of Fig, l

and includes a` vertical sectional view` through thef'date stamp carrier taken on the line 2-2 ofFig. l;A

Fig. 3-is an enlargement ofrFig, 2 showing the parts adjusted to afdifiererlt position; v

Fig` 4 is a 'face viewv of a date lstamp carrier `and date stamps` therein as. taken-V onV the, linef 1f-4 `of Fig.A 3;

Figs. 5-V and 6 are vsectional views: on the lines 5--5 `(,'f'pigjg and of Fig.*31, respectivelyfshowing the 2,977,877 Patented Apr. 4, 19,61

rice

Arelative positions of the parts for the different adjustments -carrier is'in the form of a thick disc secured to a shaft 12 which rotates one each carton fed through the cartoning machine. A pin 13 as shown inFig. 3 may be used for this purpose. Referring to Fig. 1, a back-up segment 14 cooperates with the date stamp carrier to date a carton C, the segment 14 having a hard rubber face 16 to absorb the shock of multiple cartons passing through the machine and prevent excessive wear on the date stamps. The face 16 also evens out the difierence in height of the stamps and gives a uniform dating imprint on the carton C.

I provide a date stamp retainer y18 in the form of a hub having a disc-like flange 28 in which ilange a slot -32 is provided for a purpose which will hereinafter aption for operation by an annular bead 30 on the flange 28 of the date stamp retainer 1S as shown in Fig. 2. The carrier 10 has a groove 31 to receive the bead The shaft 12 is provided with a detent 34 in which a detent ball 36 is normally seated as shown in Figs. 2 and.5 by` a detent spring 3S.V A plug 40 in the retainer 18 backs up the spring 38. A collar 42 held in position on the shaft 12 by a set screw 44 permits rotation of the date stamp retainer 1S but .prevents axial movement thereof with respect to the shaft 12.

Referring to Fig. l, the cartoning machine has a carton feeding segment 46 on a shaft 47 and a pair of back-up rollers 48 for properly feeding the carton C to position between the date stamp carrier 10 and the Aback-up segment 14. The carrier 10, the back-up segtation With respect to the frame 58 of the cartoning machine.

Practical operation In the operation of my code dater, the parts are normally in the position of Figs. l, 2 and 5 when ready for operation of the cartoning machine. to change one'or more of the date stamps S1, S2., etc., the date stamp retainer 18 is rotated from the retaining position of Figs. 2 and 5 with the ball 36 in the detent 34, to a position with the slot 32 opposite the desired date stamp to be replaced, for instance, S4 asl in Figs. 3 and 6 whereupon the date stamp Sf may bel removed in `a direction away-from the magnet 22 through the slot 32 and another one substituted. The magnet 22.

holds the substituted date stamp temporarily in position and the retainer 18 is then rotated back to the originaliA Zpesitonpoi Figs. 2 and 5 'thus retaining the datestamp S4Vas well asall the others in position. 'Y

As shown in Fig. 5.',the slot'32 is normally (when the ball36 is in thedete-nt 3`4,)'in apositVon-outof lign=- mentfwithany of thefdatestamps` being jtistfjltotthe xleft of the'last one (S1). Thus, theange 23 and the' `bead 30 hold. the datelstamps ,in their-slots 2 0 .antiflo` cate them j diallyrespectivel-y.; v 1. l

When it is desirable i arrangement of the parts of my code dater without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may reasonably be included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a code dater of the character disclosed, a disclike date stamp carrier having open, radial date stamp receiving slots in one face thereof to locate date stamps circumferentially, magnetic means for temporarily holding date stamps in said slots against the bottoms thereof, date stamps for said slots having notches in the sides thereof opposite the bottoms of said slots, a date stamp retainer having a flange overlying the date stamps and an annular bead to enter said notches and thereby locate the date stamps radially, and means for normallyvretaining saidiretainer in retaining position, said retainer having a notch in the flange thereof movable to a position over any one of the date stamps, Vsaid last notch interrupting said bead which cooperates with said last notch for permitting removal of said any one of the date stamps from its slot in the carrier and replacement by another date stamp.

2. In a code dater, a shaft, a disc-like date stamp carrier thereon having radially extending recesses open at one face of said carrier to receive date stamps', va magnet associated with each recess to temporarily retain a date stamp seated therein, date stamps for said recesses having crosswise notchestherein, and a date stamp retainer comprising a disc-like member adjacent said carrier and retaining the date stamps in said'recesses,

said retainer being rotatable relative to said shaft, detent means for normally holding the same in one position of rotation relative thereto, said retainer having a slot out of alignment with any of said date stamps when said detent means is operable and rotatably movable to alignment with any thereof for permitting removal of the same and replacement thereof, said retainer having an annular bead to engage in rall of the crosswise notches of said date stamps when said detent means is operable, said annular bead being interrupted by said slot to cooperate therewith in permitting removal and replacement of date stamps relative to said recesses.

3. In a code dater, a shaft, a disc-like d ate stamp carrier thereon having radially extending recesses in one face thereof to receive date stamps, date stamps for said recesses having crosswise notches opposite the bottoms of said recesses, a date stamp retainer comprising a disclikc member adjacent said one face of said carrier for retaining the date stamps in said recesses, said retainer being rotatable relative to said shaft, means for normally holding the same in one position of rotation relative thereto, said retainer having a slot out of alignment with any of said date stamps when said means is operable and rotatably movable to alignment with any thereof for permitting removal of the same through said slot and replacement thereof in said recess, and said retainer having circumferentially extending means engaging in said crosswise notches to positively retain said date stamps in said recesses and in circumferential alignment, said last means being circumferentially interrupted by said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,001,689 Rogers Aug. 29, 1911 1,643,349 Sanders Sept. 27, 1927 2,232,528 Holman Feb. 18, 1941 2,358,674 Weber Sept. 19, 1944 2,358,822 Noble Sept. 26, 1944 2,519,008 Weimont Aug. 15, 1950 

